Basic Information

Name Chan Sze Wa, Stella
Title Associate Professor
Address 620B
Telephone (852) 3653 6661
Email swchan@sfu.edu.hk
Office hours Monday – Friday 9 am – 6 pm
School & Department S.K. Yee School of Health Sciences

Biography

Dr. Stella Chan received her Bachelor's degree in Biology from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology before earning a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from the Hong Kong Baptist University and PhD in Pharmacology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She completed her post-doctoral training at the School of Biomedical Sciences and later in the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, both at the CUHK. With over 15 years of research experience focused on mechanisms relevant to feeding nausea emesis control, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, Dr. Chan is a Chartered Biologist of the Royal Society of Biology (UK) and was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology by Council in April 2024 for her contributions to biological sciences and influential experience throughout her career. She joined SFU as an Assistant Professor in 2012 and became Associate Professor in the School of Health Sciences in 2016, also serving as Chairperson of Hong Kong Society of Biology, advisory professional pharmacologist for Gut Rhythm R&D (HK) Ltd, and associate member of the Cancer Biology & Experimental Therapeutics Thematic Research Program at the CUHK.

Teaching

Dr. Chan has taught a number of courses, including Human Anatomy and Physiology (BIOL112), Biological and Life Sciences (HDE102), Human Pathophysiology (BIOL113), Introduction to Pharmacology and Therapeutics (PHAR112), Pharmacology and Therapeutics II (PHAR215), Basic Pharmacology (HECA201), Microbiology and Infection Control (HECA083), and Microbiology for Nurses (NUR103). She has also taught nursing programmes in collaboration with the Hospital Authority, St. Teresa's hospital, and Union Hospital. Dr Chan has taught many subjects for the nursing schools, including Life Sciences, Introduction to Microbiology and Pharmacology, Human Biology and Clinical Microbiology.

Research

Nausea and emesis, either following drug treatment or as a result of a disease, can be incredibly debilitating. Suncus murinus is used as an animal model because common laboratory animals are incapable eliciting an emetic response, making them useless in the testing of any potential new chemical entities. By using behavioural testing and surgical and radio-telemetric techniques, coupled with immunohistochemistry, it enables us to collect a range of pertinent data simultaneously, including cardiovascular function and gastric motility during behavioural experimentation. Signalling pathways relative to feeding, nausea and emesis control mechanisms can also be obtained to complement and substantiate other data.


Research interest


Competitive research grants

RGC – Faculty Development Scheme PI. Elucidating the novel role of hypothalamic GLP-1 receptor system in mechanism of nausea and emesis in Suncus murinus (HK$ 1,361,479), 2023-2025.

RGC – General Research Fund Co-I. Novel Mechanisms Involved in Motion Sickness (HK$ 1,125,732), 2022-24.

RGC – General Research Fund Co-I. Contribution of Disrupted Gastrointestinal Myoelectric Activity to Mechanisms of Cisplatin-Induced Acute and Delayed Nausea and Emesis (HK$ 996,285), 2021-23.

RGC – Faculty Development Scheme PI. Anti-Emetic Potential of Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript (CART) System in Suncus murinus (HK$ 959,200), 2020-2022.

RGC – General Research Fund Co-I. Action of Ghrelin to Prevent Chemotherapy-Induced Side Effects in Suncus murinus (HK$ 864,742), 2019-21.

RGC – Faculty Development Scheme PI. Potential Involvement of NUCB2/Nesfatin-1 in Emesis and Feeding in Suncus murinus (HK$ 1,271,537) 2017-2019.

RGC – Faculty Development Scheme PI. Investigation of the Differential Roles of Centrally Located GLP-1 Receptors in Emesis and Feeding in Suncus murinus (HK$ 1,149,606), 2016-2018.

Selected Publications 

Book chapters

  1. Tomlinson, B., Chan, S. W., & Chan, P. (2023). Lingzhi (Ganoderma lucidum) and Cardiovascular Disease. In Rajkumar Rajendram, Vinood Patel, Victor Preedy (Ed.). Ancient and Traditional Foods, Plants, Herbs and Spices used in Cardiovascular Health and Disease. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
  2. Chan, S. W.* & Tomlinson, B. (2023). Beneficial effects of Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) in diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In Rajkumar Rajendram, Vinood Patel, Victor Preedy (Ed.). Ancient and Traditional Foods, Plants, Herbs and Spices used in Diabetes. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

Full manuscripts  

  1. Yang, L., Kung, C. J. S., Lu, Z., Liu, J. Y. H., Ngan, M. P., Sakai, T., Sakata, I., Chan, S. W., Tu, L., & Rudd, J. A. (2024). Exploring the role of ghrelin and des-acyl ghrelin in chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Neuropharmacology, 251, 109919.

 

  1. Liu, J. Y. H., Deng, Y., Hui, J. C. M., Du, P., Ng, H. S. H., Lu, Z., Yang, L., Liu, L., Khalid, A., Ngan, M. P., Cui, D., Jiang, B., Chan, S. W., & Rudd, J. A. (2023). Regional differences of tachykinin effects on smooth muscle and pacemaker potentials of the stomach, duodenum, ileum and colon of an emetic model, the house musk shrews. Neuropeptides, 97, 102300.

 

  1. Zeng, W., Chu, T. T. W., Ho, C. S., Lo, C. W. S., Chan, A. S. L., Kong, A. P. S., Tomlinson, B., & Chan, S. W.* (2022). Lack of effects of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system activity and beta-adrenoceptor pathway polymorphisms on the response to bisoprolol in hypertension. Front Cardiovasc Med, 9, 842875.

 

  1. Lu, Z., Cui, D., Liu, J. Y. H., Jiang, B., Ngan, M. P., Sakata, I., Takemi, S., Sakai, T., Lin, G., Chan, S. W.*, & Rudd, J. A. (2022). The actions of centrally administered nesfatin-1 on emesis, feeding, and locomotor activity in Suncus murinus (House Musk Shrew). Front Pharmacol, 13, 858522.

 

  1. Chan, S. W., Chu, T. T. W., Ho, C. S., Kong, A. P. S., Tomlinson, B., & Zeng, W. (2021). Influence of CYP2D6 and CYP3A5 polymorphisms on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of bisoprolol in hypertensive Chinese patients. Front Med (Lausanne), 8, 683498.

 

  1. Chan, S. W.*, Tomlinson, B., Chan, P., & Lam, C. W. K. (2021). The beneficial effects of Ganoderma lucidum on cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk. Pharm Biol, 59(1), 1161-1171.

 

  1. Zeng, W. W., Chan, S. W., & Tomlinson, B. (2021). Patient preferences for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring devices: Wrist-type or arm-type? PLoS One, 16(8), e0255871.

 

  1. Chan, S. W., Chu, T. T. W., Choi, S. W., Benzie, I. F. F., & Tomlinson, B. (2021). Impact of short-term bilberry supplementation on glycemic control, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and antioxidant status in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. Phytother Res, 35(6), 3236-3245.

 

  1. Liu, J. Y. H., Du, P., Lu, Z., Kung, J. S. C., Huang, I. B., Hui, J. C. M., Ng, H. S. H., Ngan, M. P., Cui, D., Jiang, B., Chan, S. W., & Rudd, J. A. (2021). Involvement of TRPV1 and TRPA1 in the modulation of pacemaker potentials in the mouse ileum. Cell Calcium, 97, 102417.

 

  1. Lu, Z., Chan, S. W.*, Tu, L., Ngan, M. P., & Rudd, J. A. (2020). GLP-1 receptors are involved in the GLP-1 (7-36) amide-induced modulation of glucose homoeostasis, emesis and feeding in Suncus murinus (house musk shrew). Eur J Pharmacol, 888, 173528.
  2. Lu, Z., Zhou, Y., Tu, L., Chan, S. W., Ngan, M. P., Cui, D., Liu, Y. H. J., Huang, I. B., Kung, J. S. C., Hui, C. M. J., & Rudd, J. A. (2020). Sulprostone-induced gastric dysrhythmia in the ferret: Conventional and advanced analytical approaches. Front Physiol, 11, 583082.

 

  1. Chan, S. W.*, & Tomlinson, B. (2020). Effects of bilberry supplementation on metabolic and cardiovascular disease risk. Molecules, 25(7).

 

  1. Rudd, J. A., Chan, S. W., Ngan, M. P., Tu, L., Lu, Z., Giuliano, C., Lovati, E., & Pietra, C. (2018). Corrigendum: Anti-emetic action of the brain-penetrating new ghrelin agonist, HM01, alone and in combination with the 5-HT3 antagonist, palonosetron and with the NK1 antagonist, netupitant, against cisplatin- and motion-induced emesis in Suncus murinus (House Musk Shrew). Front Pharmacol, 9, 1102.

 

  1. Ullah, I., Subhan, F., Lu, Z., Chan, S. W., & Rudd, J. A. (2017). Action of Bacopa monnieri to antagonize cisplatin-induced emesis in Suncus murinus (house musk shrew). J Pharmacol Sci, 133(4), 232-239.

 

  1. Tu, L., Lu, Z., Dieser, K., Schmitt, C., Chan, S. W., Ngan, M. P., Andrews, P. L. R., Nalivaiko, E., & Rudd, J. A. (2017). Brain activation by H1 antihistamines challenges conventional view of their mechanism of action in motion sickness: A behavioral, c-Fos and physiological study in Suncus murinus (House Musk Shrew). Front Physiol, 8, 412.

 

  1. Chan, S. W., Xiao, Y., Hu, M., Yin, O. Q., Chu, T. T., Fok, B. S., Lee, V. H., & Tomlinson, B. (2016). Associations of the CYP3A5*3 and CYP3A4*1G polymorphisms with the pharmacokinetics of oral midazolam and the urinary 6beta-hydroxycortisol/cortisol ratio as markers of CYP3A activity in healthy male Chinese. J Clin Pharm Ther, 41(5), 552-558.

 

  1. Chan, S. W., Lu, Z., Lin, G., Yew, D. T., Yeung, C. K., & Rudd, J. A. (2014). The differential antiemetic properties of GLP-1 receptor antagonist, exendin (9-39) in Suncus murinus (house musk shrew). Neuropharmacology, 83, 71-78.

 

  1. Lu, Z., Percie Du Sert, N., Chan, S. W., Yeung, C. K., Lin, G., Yew, D. T., Andrews, P. L., & Rudd, J. A. (2014). Differential hypoglycaemic, anorectic, autonomic and emetic effects of the glucagon-like peptide receptor agonist, exendin-4, in the conscious telemetered ferret. J Transl Med, 12, 327.

 

  1. Chan, S. W., Hu, M., Ko, S. S., Tam, C. W., Fok, B. S., Yin, O. Q., Chow, M. S., & Tomlinson, B. (2013). CYP2C19 genotype has a major influence on labetalol pharmacokinetics in healthy male Chinese subjects. Eur J Clin Pharmacol, 69(4), 799-806.

 

  1. Chan, S. W., Lin, G., Yew, D. T., Yeung, C. K., & Rudd, J. A. (2013). Separation of emetic and anorexic responses of exendin-4, a GLP-1 receptor agonist in Suncus murinus (house musk shrew). Neuropharmacology, 70, 141-147.

 

  1. Hu, M., Yang, Y. L., Fok, B. S., Chan, S. W., Chu, T. T., Poon, E. W., Yin, O. Q., Lee, V. H., & Tomlinson, B. (2012). Effects of CYP2D6*10, CYP3A5*3, CYP1A2*1F, and ABCB1 C3435T polymorphisms on the pharmacokinetics of flecainide in healthy Chinese subjects. Drug Metabol Drug Interact, 27(1), 33-39.

 

  1. Chan, S. W., Hu, M., & Tomlinson, B. (2012). The pharmacogenetics of beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists in the treatment of hypertension and heart failure. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol, 8(7), 767-790.

 

  1. Xiao, Y. J., Chan, S. W., Hu, M., Chu, T. T. W., Fok, B. S. P., Poon, E. W. M., & Tomlinson, B. (2012). Simultaneous determination of cortisol, cortisone, and 6 beta-hydroxycortisol in human urine by UPLC with UV detector and application to determine diurnal variations. Chromatographia, 75(3-4), 169-173.

 

  1. Chan, S. W., Lin, G., Yew, D. T., & Rudd, J. A. (2011). A physiological role of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptors in the central nervous system of Suncus murinus (house musk shrew). Eur J Pharmacol, 668(1-2), 340-346.

 

  1. Yang, Y., Chan, S. W., Hu, M., R., W., & Tomlinson, B. (2011). Effects of some common food constituents on cardiovascular disease. ISRN Cardiology, 397136.

 

  1. Chan, S. W., Lin, G., Yamamoto, K., Yew, D. T., & Rudd, J. A. (2010). Simultaneous determination of amino acids in discrete brain areas in Suncus murinus by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. J Pharm Biomed Anal, 53(3), 705-709.

 

  1. Yamamoto, K., Chan, S. W., Rudd, J. A., Lin, G., Asano, K., & Yamatodani, A. (2009). Involvement of hypothalamic glutamate in cisplatin-induced emesis in Suncus murinus (house musk shrew). J Pharmacol Sci, 109(4), 631-634.

 

  1. Cheng, F. H., Chan, S. W., & Rudd, J. A. (2008). Contractile effect of tachykinins on Suncus murinus (house musk shrew) isolated ileum. Neuropeptides, 42(5-6), 671-679.

 

  1. Chan, S. W., He, J., Lin, G., Rudd, J. A., & Yamamoto, K. (2007). Action of GLP-1 (7-36) amide and exendin-4 on Suncus murinus (house musk shrew) isolated ileum. Eur J Pharmacol, 566(1-3), 185-191.



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